Behind the Headlines in Munich

by David Sanger

This expert-driven national-security insight can’t be generated for free.  We invite you to support quality content by becoming a  Cipher Brief Level I Member .  Joining this experienced...

A Very Decent Spy Behind Home Plate

by The Spy Behind Home Plate

MOVIE REVIEW: The Spy Behind Homeplate (a documentary) by James Periard James Periard served over 25 years in the Central Intelligence Agency as a Case Officer for Middle East and counter terrorism...

Baseball and the CIA: My 10 Favorite Life Lessons

by Marc Polymeropoulos

This is Cipher Brief Level I Member Only content. It can be accessed via login or by signing up to become a Cipher Brief Member.  Joining this high-level, security-focused community is only...

How the CIA Penetrated Winterfell

by David S. Cohen

It was an operation that took more than a year to execute.  Find out how the CIA’s former Deputy Director finally penetrated Winterfell, in The Cipher Brief. This is Cipher Brief Level I...

How Jimmy Hatch Touched the Dragon and Survived

by Suzanne Kelly

I was introduced to Jimmy Hatch via email in late 2014.  I was months away from launching The Cipher Brief and a mutual friend who volunteers his time for the Special Operations Care Fund (SOC-F), a...

Why Intelligence Matters

by Michael J. Morell

Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell is debuting season two of his popular podcast ‘Intelligence Matters’ in partnership with CBS News this week.  The Cipher Brief was proud to be a partner...

Book Review: U.S. Spies Triumph in Tragedy against Hitler

by Daniel Hoffman

Wartime has been a force multiplier for espionage ever since the Revolutionary War, when General George Washington was the founding father of the art of intelligence. In World War II, the Office of...

Taking a Lesson from Churchill for Today

by Michael Morell

The Cipher Brief’s State of Play series encompasses reviews of the books, movies and TV shows that help shape our understanding of the national security space. This week, Cipher Brief Expert...

Daniel Silva's House of Spies: Old Spies Don’t Die or Fade Away

by Michael Sulick

As General Douglas MacArthur famously said, “Old soldiers don’t die, they just fade away.” In the world of fiction, old spies don’t die or fade away – they remain ageless,...

Dunkirk: The Larger-than-Life Story on a Larger-than-Life Screen

by Will Edwards

If you don’t know what a Stukka Dive Bomber sounds like, you will never forget its eerie, piercing wail after watching Dunkirk. It is sound, not gory acts of violence or stunning set-piece battle...